This year's nominees include Vancouver startup HootSuite, the National Film Board and musicians The Arcade Fire and Justin Bieber

Canadians are vying with the best in the international online world for recognition in the realm of Internet excellence.

There are 25 Canadian nominees at this year’s Webby Awards, ranging from Vancouver start-up HootSuite to pop star Justin Bieber.

The Webby Awards were launched 15 years ago in the early days of the Internet and aim to showcase the best the Web has to offer.

Last year, organizers received nearly 10,000 entries from 60 countries across the world in categories such as best viral video and best community.

Leading the Canadian contingent this year is the National film Board, which scored nominations in five categories, including best use of photography for the documentary “Highrise: Out my window,” which recently won a Digital Emmy in Cannes.

NFB films are also nominated for best documentary, documentary series, website and interactive video.

NFB film commissioner and chairman Tom Perlmutter said the organization is always seeking ways to connect with Canadians and is earning international recognition by doing so.

“We’re puishing boundaries and experimenting to establish Canada as central to the future in which the digital space will be predominant,” Mr. Perlmutter said.

NFB launched its first app for Apple Inc.’s iPhone in 2009. Within six weeks, Mr. Perlmutter said the app was listed by iTunes as one of the top 10 apps of the year. Later, NFB launched apps for the iPad and Anroid operating system.

“All that stuff was a way of engaging,” Mr. Perlmutter said. “Audiences could not only watch, they could share.”

Mr. Perlmutter said he has high hopes for each of the NFB films nominated, but added that they face stiff competition.

Montreal band Arcade Fire is nominated this year for their web video “The Wilderness Downtown” and teen star Justin Bieber got a nod for his video “Justin Bieber Takes Over Funny or Die”.

Mobile video game sensation Angry Birds, group buying site GroupOn and Old Spice’s viral video campaign were all nominated for Webbys this year.